Having a cat at home is always a source of happiness: whoever tried it, knows it . But if there are indoor plants in your house that are toxic to your pets, that happiness can suddenly end. Some cats are calmer and more affectionate (those cats that systematically take away your bed), there are more mischievous and playful, but no matter how different they are, all of them, absolutely all of them , at some point or another, will take it up with plants. home as if they were your worst enemy . They’ll dig into the ground, scratch their nails on the trunk and start purging themselves with the leaves, which they’ll then throw up, of course. Aren’t they wonderful animals? Jokes aside, you have to be careful, becauseIndoor plants that are toxic to your pet can go unnoticed and end up creating serious health problems for your pet . We tell you what they are so that from now on they are non grata plants in your home (and in your cat’s life).
Cycas Revolute
It is a very old plant, which looks like a palm tree, but it is not. It belongs to the Cycad family and is native to southern Japan. It is said that they can live more than 200 years, yes, at a very slow growth rate, since it can take 20 years to reach a meter in height. Unless you live in a warm climate and can place the plant on an outside terrace, this plant is indoors (and very easy to care for). Are you really going to wait that long to see it grow and run the risk of your cat getting poisoned?
Lilies: any kind
Hardly any cat owner knows that lilies are extremely poisonous for cats: their flowers can cause severe poisoning and vomiting. In fact, all parts of the plant are toxic and there are documented cases where pollen exposure alone has caused acute kidney failure that could even lead to the death of our dear friend. There are beautiful flower arrangements without having to resort to lilies, so we recommend that you do not take risks and that as long as you have cats at home, do without them.
Garlic and chives
Although herbs are generally friendly to cats (catnip or spearmint and mint, in small doses, they love), garlic and chives are dangerous plants for your cat. In fact, all members of the allium family— including onions, leeks, chives, and shallots—are toxic to felines. Even a small intake of these herbs or their flowers can damage your red blood cells, leading to anemia or even death. It is true that they have a strong odor that is a deterrent, but if they ever take to eating them, you will have a problem that, hopefully, only the vet can fix.
Dope
We’re not saying it’s not obvious, but we had to include it. There will always be those who think that depending on the type of plant and its psychotropic active ingredients, it can be more or less toxic for your cat, and they are wrong: all types of marijuana can harm your cat and also, if you have one, your dog; and even, if the poisoning is very serious, death. In small doses, the typical symptoms of poisoning will appear such as prolonged depression, vomiting, lack of coordination, drowsiness or excitement, hypersalivation, dilated pupils, low blood pressure, low body temperature, convulsions or coma.
Begonias
Although begonia poisoning is not usually fatal , it can produce some fairly obvious symptoms of illness in your cat. If you have one at home and you realize that your cat has taken a good bite, you should take it directly to the vet so that more serious complications do not arise (beyond your cat making strange faces, having excessive salivation, sores in the mouth and refuse food and drink). The normal thing is that in 48 hours after having ingested it, your cat returns to normal, since in that time and with a soft liquid diet, it will expel the calcium oxalate crystals from its digestive system.
Bird of paradise flower
We already know: it is a beautiful flower and it looks great in a minimalist living room, but we are sorry to tell you that it is a toxic plant for dogs and cats. If they ingest it, they will most likely vomit it, but it is also likely that nausea and dizziness will continue afterwards, mainly caused by the seeds. Not to be confused with Caesalpinia or Poinciana gilliesii , which are also known as Bird of Paradise and are more toxic. Save your cat the bad drink (pun intended) and replace it with another of the same color but safer with these ideas to create a tropical garden at home.
Sansevieria
If you are passionate about decorating with plants and are reading this, you may be about to throw in the towel: “Is Sansevieria really a toxic houseplant for cats?” Yes, it is, although its toxicity is pretty low and, to be honest, it’s very rare for your cat to eat it. But hey, you never know. Just in case, we recommend a trick that will work with all toxic plants for cats: put a fur or two lemons in the potting soil Felines hate the smell of citrus, and in addition to educating them, it can be one of the methods that keeps them away from danger, at least the green one.
